This invention relates generally to an exercise device especially suited for exercising a person's wrists, arms and upper body. It is especially suited for therapeutic use by persons who do not have full use of the wrists, arms and/or shoulders, such as persons recovering from broken bones or suffering from arthritis.
In ancient times, people naturally had to physically exercise simply to survive from day to day. Transportation was obtained by walking, food by hunting, and housing by physical human labor, all requiring a great deal of exercise.
Through the industrial revolution and into modern times, with modern day conveniences, strenuous physical exercise is not generally required for a large segment of the population. Many people in sedentary occupations develop their own exercise programs in order to reduce the risk of heart attacks, strokes and other diseases.
For such exercise programs various exercising devices have been developed for home use such as a pair of spring-loaded handles which the user squeezes, one for each hand. Also known is the device disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,756,597 which utilizes a pair of rotating weight members attached to the ends of a connecting shaft. The shaft is gripped with the hands and the weight members are rotated rapidly to provide exertion for the use. A variation on such a device is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,513,963 which is believed to be the closest known prior art to the device according to the present invention.